This weeks finishes

My thanks to Yuko for designing such a pretty freebie and to
Vero for providing such wonderful instructions for making a mattress pinkeep. This is the 1st mattress pinkeep I have made and I'm pretty pleased with the results, I stitched this using DMC 816 on 36ct natural linen, I was going to x-stitch it but it looked too heavy for the result I wanted so I stitched it 1/1 as petit point.




My next stitching finish is by With My Needle - Busy Bee Sewing case, as you can see I have still to add the bees (didn't have enough so will have to order some), and do all the finishing. I changed everything thread wise, I did stitch it on 32ct Amsterdam Blue 2/2 but all the threads are those wonderful Kaalund Yarns silk threads I bought at Jaynes Attic stall at the show I went to last month and I used a gloriana silk for the tree and the wee cat. The writing is done in Finch (wonderful colours), her dress and flowers are stitched in Poinsetta and Jacaranda, the grass is in Moss and the skeps are Silky Oak, these threads are wonderful to use and have such wonderful names - they were made for knitting very fine work, but divideed they are the same weight as stitching yarn.

THANKYOU

Thankyou to everyone for all your good wishes, I have shown Mark them all too and he sends his thanks.

I've been a terrible blogger just lately, I haven't been round and visited many blogs at all so please except my apologies, I have been busy stitching away and will soon have some finishes to show you.

I'm feeling much better than I was. I'm just left with a chesty cough and ear-ache, but apart from that I am feeling great.

Our weather here is awful, gale force winds and rain and oh so cold!!

Hope everyone else who has fallen to the dreaded 'bugs' are feeling better and a HAPPY THANKSGIVING' to my American readers. (((HUGS)))

Anniversary

Today is our anniversary - 11 wonderful years together, I had to kiss a lot of frogs til I found my prince and what a prince he is too. I feel very fortunate to call Mark my partner, he really is a wonderful man, loving, caring, funny, generous and just brilliant - he's my Mr Wonderful and he even knows how to do the ironing (in fact he DOES do all the ironing). - Love you loads Hun!!

On another note, my lovely 8 year old niece Amy has started her own blog, I have put her in my side bar as Amy if you would like to go and have a look at her wonderful sewing that she has done.

Stitching Bloggers question

Do you stitch Christmas ornaments? If so, how many do you stitch each year and for whom? If not, why not?

Oh what a great question for me this one is. I adore stitching Christmas ornaments and have stitched them now for many years, it makes me feel all Christmassy when I start. One year I stitched 2 a month all year, but it didn't make me feel Christmassy even though I had done so many, so now I usually start my ornament stitching in October, I tend to give them away as gifts to friends and family or exchanges and I keep very few to myself. On average I would say I stitch about a dozen ornaments per year and I try to finish them all differently and do different designs, I never do a repetition of the same design in the same year, although I may do a favourite one again another year.

Woodland Samplings

Edited 17/11/06 - to show a clearer picture.

I really apologise for the photo, I hate this time of year for photographing things, I think I need a daylight bulb in a lamp, then it wouldn't look all golden, I'll see whether the lighting is better at the weekend and take another pic.
Whilst I took 2 unscheduled days off this week due to the flu I decided to stitch myself something, so I chose LHN - Woodland Samplings which I received from Carol in my birthday gifts. It was a great stitch to do and so fast to stitch up too, I used all the recommended DMC and stitched it 1 over 2 on 32ct natural linen.


Patti asked me what a PIF is so hopefully this will explain (I pinched it from Carol - sorry)
The first five people to respond to this post (via the comments section) will get some form of "art" made by me. It will be a hand crafted item made from sewing, or of course stitching. I will try to make the item something special just for you. After you comment, please email me your snail mail address (susimac at btinternet dot com). I'm going with a personal deadline of 365 days. So, it will be a bit of a random surprise in the mail for you, but something you can look forward to. There is a catch, of course, the way this works is that if you sign up, you have to blog this as well and continue sharing.

So far I have 3 people who have joined my PIF. Any-one else want to play????

I went back to work on Wednesday, feeling a little better, tho the voice still hasn't returned fully I have a sort of squeaky croak, which makes the guys at work laugh anyway. This weekend I'm going to Carlisle to finish my Christmas shopping - I hope, and then we are out with friends on Saturday evening. I have started another 'me' project, and will reveal all, hopefully some time next week.

In the post the other day I received a lovely surprise package from Barbara inside was the most gorgeous handmade by Barbara primitiv sheep with a bright red bell fastened to his neck - he's really adorable and I will post a picture of the package when I can take better photo's in better lighting. Also she sent me some of the thread rings I had on my wish list and a wonderful pan holder which matches my kitchen perfectly (how did she know).

Christmas Ornie preview

Can you guess which ones I've stitched. Some are for exchanges and gifts.

Exchange from AnneS

In the post this morning I received the most gorgeous scissor fob from Anne
we were in the fob exchange from Renees board.



The stitching and finishing are exquisite, and Anne also sent me an array of goodies too, I was already spoiled with the fob and Anne spoiled me more with the goodies. Thankyou Anne I really love this fob.



On another note - I have joined the PIF from Barabras blog and so if you would like to receive a hand-made item from me during the next 12months, the first 5 people to email me with your name and address will receive something.

Also I would like to thank everyone for all the wonderful comments that you have left me, its really heartwarming to read them all and makes blogging for me so worthwhile, Thankyou so much.

I know I have been a wee bit quiet of latenot visiting blogs as I usually do or posting, I have been struggling with a sore throat and lethargy a bit, and I have also been busy finishing Christmas exchanges, ornaments and presents, I will be posting pictures real soon, I was going to try and do some today, but the lighting is poor and so I apologise for the clarity of the pics of Annes wonderful fob.

Scissor fob

I found out today - this is just a quick posting as I'm off away for the weekend in 10mins!! that Lynn (Singular Stitches) has received the fob I made for her in the fob exchange from Renees board.

This is a EEF design - Urn and flowers, stitched on 40ct Lakeside Linen (French Lilac), I really liked this one and must do one for myself. I trimmed it very simply with a homemade beaded tassel.

I'm glad that Lynn liked it.